Point of Know Return
by Jedipati
Summary: Obi-Wan is going to see his men for the first time since Utapau. He has to tell them that he doesn't blame them. While there, he realizes something important. This is the next story in the Custos universe.
1. Reunion

Many, many, many thanks go to anvil527up over on tumblr for the lightning fast beta work.

The second chapter will follow in a few minutes.

* * *

Obi-Wan Kenobi sighed as he set his datapad down. "Anakin, can I ask you something?"

Anakin Skywalker looked up. "Yes, Obi-Wan, of course."

"After you killed Darth Sidious, what happened to our men?" he asked.

Anakin sighed. "Most of them were still driven by the chips. They weren't really our men, not then. I gave the orders to remove the chips, though I knew it would be bad."

"And it was," Obi-Wan said, lifting up the datapad he was holding. "I was just reading the lists from the last six years. Anakin, so many of them died just after you killed Sidious. Not just our men, but the other units too. The 104th is all but gone. Other units aren't much better."

"They... Obi-Wan, a lot of them ate their blasters after the chips were removed. I did my best, the doctors did their best but..."

"What is it?"

"The 501st and the 212th were some of the lucky ones, Obi-Wan. They didn't kill their own generals. And Cody still nearly killed himself when he realized he'd shot at you. I had to pull the blaster away from him almost as soon as he woke up after the surgery."

"He missed. They missed."

"I know. But he didn't see it that way. Still doesn't, as far as I know."

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. "And the rest of the 212th? How many of them are still alive?"

Anakin looked down. "It's not many," he said. "I kept them together, kept them under my command. I hoped it might help."

"Did it?"

Anakin sighed. "I don't know, Rex seemed to think so. But he was on leave when it happened and he never actually killed a Jedi, not even after Sidious triggered the Order on him."

"And Cody?"

Anakin sighed. "He's not… good. I think he needs to see you, but he's afraid to."

Obi-Wan smiled sadly. "Should I go see them?" he asked. "Or will that just make things worse?"

"I don't think so. The 501st was wary around me at first, but I did lead them into the Temple. I don't think seeing you will make things worse. It might help, honestly. I just don't know."

Obi-Wan took a deep breath. "I can just hope they understand. Do you have anything to do that can't wait? And where is the 212th right now?"

"They're in garrison here on Coruscant, with the 501st. And no, I don't."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Let's go, then," he said. "You know the way, you lead."

Anakin smiled and they headed for the shuttle bay. He avoided any heavy talk as he flew them toward the barracks. Thankfully, they'd left the ceremonial guards that the Emperor-Consort was normally saddled with behind. Obi-Wan wasn't sure why he even had them, because Anakin was more than capable of handling any attack, and the entire galaxy knew it. Still, at least they weren't coming on this trip. Obi-Wan didn't want any extra observers for this meeting.

He knew the clones knew he was back- they wouldn't have been able to miss it, not with the way the newsbeings wouldn't stop blathering about it, even two weeks after that news conference.

Anakin landed at a pad attached to a very large building. "Both of our legions?" Obi-Wan asked quietly.

"And what little was left of the 104th," Anakin added. "They took Plo's death hard. At least I was giving them back themselves. It wasn't enough, not for most of them though. But it was the only thing I could do for them." He sighed. "Palpatine and his Order destroyed so many of our men, Obi-Wan. I didn't really see it until after I killed him."

Obi-Wan nodded and they left the shuttle. There was a small group waiting for them. To a man, they paled as they realized who was walking down the shuttle ramp.

Obi-Wan could feel the grief and resignation in most of them. He took a deep breath and stopped in front of Cody. How should he…

"General," Cody managed, saluting with painful precision.

"Cody," Obi-Wan said quietly. He gave into impulse and pulled the man into a brief hug. "I don't blame you," he said after he let go. "You had no choice in the matter."

Cody stared at him. "But sir," he protested, "we nearly killed you."

Obi-Wan smiled at him, then glanced at the others around him. "You missed." He spread his hands out. "I was an easy target, Cody. And somehow, you missed."

His smile faded. "Cody, put the blame where it belongs. On Emperor Palpatine for giving that Order, on the ones who created those chips, even on the Jedi for not thinking things through. Don't ever blame yourself." He looked over- at Rex, at Boil, at the others there. "That goes for all of you."

He staggered back as he felt the sudden relief from every clone present. "Oh," he whispered. "Oh, my friends," he added. "I never blamed you. As soon as I knew what had happened, I knew you would never had done that, if you could help it. And," he added, seeing Commander Wolfe, "the Jedi who died would have said the same."

Wolfe clenched his fists. "Sir… our general…"

Obi-Wan stepped forward and gently took the man's hands. "Trust me, Commander. Master Koon probably forgave you even as his fighter fell." He sobered. "He'd blame Emperor Palpatine, just as I do," he growled out the last sentence.

"Yes sir," Wolfe said, though he was not at all convinced. Obi-Wan sighed, but he'd just have to convince the man later.

Obi-Wan turned to Cody. "I've seen the casualty lists, Cody, but I want to see everyone still here. All the officers, all the men. Right down the ones who were Shinies on the Utapau mission." He took a deep breath. "They need to know I don't blame them."

Cody managed a small smile. "The mess hall," he said. "We can meet in there."

* * *

Cody was trying to keep his eyes forward, but he couldn't help it. He kept turning his head to stare at the man walking next to him. His General, walking next to him as if nothing had ever happened.

He didn't seem at all concerned that something like Utapau could happen again. To be fair, without the chips it wouldn't. But it just… didn't make any sense to Cody. General Kenobi should be shunning them, or maybe taking justice into his own hands, for their treachery.

General Kenobi turned his head sharply to stare at him for a moment. For a second, Cody thought the General's eyes were gold, but then he saw they were blue, as always. "It was never your fault, Cody," he snapped out. "And enough of that- I don't blame you, I didn't blame you, and I will never blame you. You shouldn't blame yourself."

Emperor Skywalker stopped too, and raised an eyebrow at them both.

Kenobi glanced at him. "You weren't kidding, Anakin," he said. "How did you…?" he trailed off.

The Emperor shrugged.

Finally, the General turned his attention back to Cody. "Cody, I'm going to say this again, and I want you to believe it. I know it wasn't your fault. I do not blame you. I will never blame you. Understood?"

Cody nodded slowly. He'd… do his best to believe it.

The General sighed. "Don't blame yourself, Cody," he said. "Force knows I never will. I save that for Emperor Palpatine." That was definitely a flash of gold, there and then gone in a heartbeat.

Cody decided to keep that to himself. His General was still his General, and he didn't hate them, and that was really all that mattered.

Beside him, General Kenobi smiled.


	2. No Return

"Anakin, did you catch Cody's thoughts when I told him I didn't blame him?" Obi-Wan asked once they were back on their way to the Palace.

"No, I didn't," Anakin said. "Why?"

"He thought my eyes turned gold," Obi-Wan replied.

Anakin sighed. "I wondered what it would take," he admitted. "Let me guess- when you got mad about Emperor Palpatine?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "It would be him," he admitted.

Anakin snorted. "I know, Obi-Wan, I figured it'd be something he did that would drop you deep enough into the Darkness."

Obi-Wan's smile faded. "I suppose I can't go back now."

Anakin chuckled. "Obi-Wan, you passed the point of no return after that day in the garden." He looked over at the other man, and Obi-Wan could practically feel him dropping into the mindset of the Sith Master. "I'm glad," Vader added. "I know I told you I would never push for you to Turn, but I am glad you aren't limiting yourself any longer. And you are far stronger than you were. Embrace it, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I know, Lord Vader," he said. "And I have. But I spent so long fighting it, it'll take time to fully reconcile myself to it."

Vader sighed and nodded. He smoothly landed and then glanced at his former Jedi Master. "I suppose I should bring you to the private Library now. I have a project I've been working on for over three years, and I could use your help."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"It's a Sith technique called Mal-ek. I'm trying find a way to break it," Vader said.

Obi-Wan smirked. "What does it do?" he asked.

"Mind control," Vader said grimly. He didn't say anything else as he led Obi-Wan away from the populated section of the palace and down into an area Obi-Wan hadn't known was there.

The Darkness was strong here. "What sort of mind control?" Obi-Wan asked as he wandered over to look at a stack of data-pads. Some were modern, but many looked as if they might be hundreds of years old. There were several holocrons in places of honor.

Vader went to one of them and gently took it down and with a flare of anger, opened it.

"Lord Vader," the female Sith said in greeting.

"Lady Phobos," Vader responded. "I have someone you should meet."

"Ah," she said as she turned to face Obi-Wan. "You have finally taken an Apprentice?"

Vader chuckled. "No," he said. "One of my children will become my Apprentice, in time," he said. "Obi-Wan Kenobi is my former Jedi Master, and he has since Turned to the Dark."

"Lady Phobos," Obi-Wan bowed.

He carefully did not shift as she studied him.

"Master Kenobi," she finally said. "Are you sure you don't want to become Lord Vader's apprentice."

"I would make a _terrible_ Sith Lord," Obi-Wan said. "But we came here for a reason."

"Yes," Vader said, and Obi-Wan felt the sudden flash of white-hot anger. "Lady Phobos, would you tell Obi-Wan about Mal-ek."

As he listened, Obi-Wan suddenly understood exactly what that anger was about.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan finally said, once he fully grasped the situation. "Is there anywhere nearby where I won't destroy a priceless or useful relic of the Sith?"

Vader nodded. "Training room," he said. "Obi-Wan… will you help?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes," he said. "I'll help you free Padmé." He took a deep breath. "But I am about to lose control, so show me where the training room is before I destroy a thesis or worse."

Vader nodded and directed him to the training room. Obi-Wan barely managed to hold on long enough to see that nothing was irreplaceable before he lost his temper.

Sidious was lucky he was dead and decayed. The old Sith had taken too much from Obi-Wan, starting with Qui-Gon and ending, in a roundabout way, with the Light. He wanted to kill the man himself right now.

As it was, Obi-Wan was sure he'd end up destroying the man's holocron if he ever found it. If he could, he'd probably try to destroy all the works of the man's hands, but…

The Empire was here to stay. But everything else, yes. Obi-Wan could tear down. And that included freeing Padmé.

Finally, after he'd destroyed several training droids and felt rational enough again, he took a deep breath and returned to the library.

Vader was studying flimsy as he waited.

"I hate that man," Obi-Wan announced as he dropped down next to his friend.

Vader looked up and smiled wryly. "I know. It's going to take a lot of power to destroy the Mal-ek without hurting Padmé, if we can. Hold on to that hate."

Obi-Wan sighed. "Trust me, I will." He looked up and nodded once. "Let's get started. You've managed to free our men, let's see about freeing your wife."

Vader nodded. "Thank you, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan managed a smile, but it felt tight, and he was sure it looked more predatory than anything. "Let's see what we can figure out. First, I need to know more about how Mal-ek works."

Vader handed him a datapad. Side by side, they started to read.

Privately, Obi-Wan made a vow to himself. Anything of Sidious' that Anakin didn't object to, Obi-Wan would destroy.

* * *

Well. This was supposed to be a lighthearted Obi-Wan and Clones reunion. That was, in fact, the working title, "Reunion". But Obi-Wan decided he wanted to rail about Sidious and well…

It's about twice as long as I planned and a lot less lighthearted. I hope you all enjoyed it! And yes, the title is a Kansas song, because it was appropriate. Obi-Wan has passed the point of no return, and now he knows it.


End file.
